Losing hair can be an emotional experience. Hair is often thought to be a central part of our identity as individuals, so it is completely normal to experience strong negative feelings when thinning or hair loss occurs.
Thinning hair is a natural part of aging and men tend to lose hair faster and more noticeably than women.
Today I talk to you about how you can cover thinning areas of your scalp and how to treat thinning hair in a natural way, improving their appearance and thus reinforcing your safety while hair changes over time.
Tips for covering sparse hair areas
If you are looking to cover thinning areas, here are some tips:
Wear a wig or toupee
A wig or toupee can cover large areas of sparse hair. It can be made of natural hair that matches the color of your hair.
Use scalp spray
You can use a spray or dyes that match the hair and color of the scalp to fill the areas of thinning of the scalp and reduce the appearance of thinning.
Play with your hairstyle
Try a hairstyle that adds volume and covers thinning areas.
Oh well, now stop reading because I guess you were waiting for other much nicer solutions and not just these three. But don’t go yet because I present other alternatives. First of all, I do not like the use of the wig because the fact of having to stick it to the scalp with glues creates irritations and folliculitis on the scalp that damage the few healthy hair that are still there. A similar thing happens with sprays, usually made with synthetic materials that “dirty” the scalp, leaving a lot of residue and making hair cleaning difficult. As an alternative to the wig and sprays, I could offer you hair pigmentation or scalp tattoo, but I’ll go into another day.
Treatment options
There are some treatment tips to make hair thicker and help follicles grow back more consistently.
Scalp massage
Gently using your fingertips, creating pressure and moving the skin, feeling how the skin moves on the bone. This stimulates blood flow to the follicles and promotes hair regrowth.
Essential oils
Try applying an essential oil, such as lavender or rosemary, to the scalp and hair to promote hair growth. Lavender oil has been shown to have some success in the treatment of thinning hair.
Shampoo
Try an anti-thinning shampoo that can add volume to your hair and nourish it with vitamins and amino acids. If you feel that thinning hair is accompanied by dandruff, try ketoconazole shampoo.
Vitamins
Try a multivitamin rich in iron, folic acid and zinc to ensure that your hair grows back consistently and healthy. Some other supplements that can help include: biotin and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Prescription drugs and treatments
Here are some medications for thinning and hair loss that your doctor may be able to prescribe:
Minoxidil (Rogaine): Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a topical hair loss treatment that is applied to the scalp twice a day to promote hair growth in thinning or bald areas. Rogaine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use at home, and there are many studies showing that it can help. Talk to your doctor first to make sure it will work for you and to examine any dietary or lifestyle changes you may need to make to help Rogaine work more effectively.
Finasteride (Propecia): this is an oral drug that helps reduce the levels of the dihydrotestosterone hormone (DHT) which can cause hair loss.
Corticosteroids: they are oral or injected drugs that can reduce the inflammation that can lead to hair loss.
Laser therapy: your doctor or dermatologist may be able to treat hair follicles with laser technology that sends light particles called photons into the follicles to help them grow.
Hair transplant
This procedure should be a last resort. A hair transplant may not help everyone and can lead to scarring or unnatural hair patterns if done incorrectly.
A 2017 study found that at least 200 possible genes exist that can contribute to the possibility of suffering male pattern baldness.
Some environmental and lifestyle factors can also affect hair loss, including:
not getting enough sleep
chronic stress or short episodes of intense stress
excessive exposure to heat, sunlight or ultraviolet rays
exposure to air pollution
deficiency of vitamins such as iron, folic acid and B vitamins.
use of hair products with chemicals, in particular hair sprays and gels
wear hats, caps, helmets or other headwear
lose a lot of weight, such as 20 or more pounds, in no time
When to see a doctor
Consult your doctor if you don’t see any progress in the use of home treatments, especially if hair loss causes you stress or interrupts your daily life.
Thinning and hair loss are natural. But losing hair can still be a distressing experience. That’s why it’s important to learn what works best for you to minimize thinning hair loss, whether it’s a new style, a new look, or simply making your new look a part of who you are.